Equitably fight climate change, inform Portland how to spend $750 ... - Portland Tribune
Equitably fight climate change, inform Portland how to spend $750 million | Business | portlandtribune.com
Energy efficiency and renewable energy: $473.9 million. Residential and commercial buildings account for 41% of carbon emissions in Multnomah County. By reducing these emissions, funded projects can support a healthier climate, improve air quality, boost household and business utility savings, and create more resilient community infrastructure. Transportation decarbonization: $122.55 million. Transportation accounts for 42% of Multnomah County’s carbon emissions, making community-driven efforts to transition to an equitable, clean transportation system an essential part of the strategy to meet the City’s climate goals. Green infrastructure: $74.8 million. Portland’s urban tree canopy is a powerful tool for removing carbon from the atmosphere and working toward the City’s 2050 climate goals. Planting and maintaining street trees in Portland’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods can also increase shade, improve air quality, and protect wildlife habitat. Climate jobs, workforce, and contractor development: $45.75 million. PCEF invests in training and apprenticeships to support a diverse and fairly-paid workforce and contracting community for jobs related to clean energy, transportation decarbonization, green infrastructure and regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture: $20 million. Regenerative agriculture increases soil’s ability to store carbon, naturally enhancing Portland’s climate resilience while supporting community-based food systems and providing fresh, locally-grown produce. Capacity building: $11 million. Nonprofit organizations focused on climate justice will access trainings and staff support to more effectively meet community needs and build more climate-resilient neighborhoods. This increased capacity is essential for grant recipients to advance PCEF and the City’s climate goals. Other carbon reducing projects: $2 million. This includes projects that do not fall under the other six funding categories but provide meaningful and measurable carbon reduction and benefit communities that experience disproportionate climate impacts. Growing an equitable tree canopy to support the City’s 2035 tree canopy cover goals — $40 million over five years. Efficient and renewable energy upgrades in new and redeveloped regulated affordable multifamily housing — $60 million over five years. In-person Climate Investment Plan Briefing and Open House: May 24, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Historic Alberta House, 5131 Northeast 23rd Avenue, Portland Virtual Listening Session: June 1, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. register via Zoom
“I am a community journalist because that is where the greatest need is. There are many sources of information and opinion about international and national issues. But most people are more affected by what happens in their local communities. That is where they live, work and shop. That is where their children go to school. That is where their elected officials, business owners and labor leaders are most accessible. And that is why people need the most current information what is happening — or, more importantly, what is going to happen — in their communities. Providing accurate and up-to-date information that people need to make well-informed decisions on the issues they care about is what community journalism is all about.”
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”